We use three colors as a means of explaining the gospel to children. For the purpose of face painting, I am calling this the Colors of Life, where meaning is imputed to different colors that represent the essential components of the gospel. This will make sharing the gospel coherent, engaging and easy to explain.
History of the Wordless Gospel
Psalm 51:7 NET Sprinkle me with water and I will be pure; wash me and I will be whiter than snow.
This is an evangelistic device thought to have been invented by London preacher Charles Spurgeon, in a message given on January 11, 1866 to several hundred orphans. His text was Psalms 51:7. Naturally, in the 1800's, Spurgeon used the King James translation of the Bible. However, most Americans (even Christians) have no idea of what hyssop is, so for that reason, I am using the New English Translation.
Colors of Life Uses Three Colors
Originally, Spurgeon used three colors: black, red and white. It's easy to see how Spurgeon could easily develop a three point outline for an evangelistic sermon using the above text. In 1875, D.L. Moody added another color: gold, representing Heaven. Hudson Taylor and missionaries of the China Inland Mission used the four color version in evangelism. Child Evangelism Fellowship added a fifth color: green. By 1880, the wordless gospel was used for evangelism at orphanages, Sunday schools, and in cross-cultural missions. For simplicity, we are recommending the use of three colors:
BLACK: Black reminds us of darkness, loneliness and being separated from God. (Colossians 1:13 NET He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves.) Black is a universal metaphor for wickedness and despair. Secularism robs a society of a correct definition of sin (disobedience to God), so to bypass this post-Christian deficient understanding, and to increase your effectiveness, put the focus on the AFFECTS of sin (hopelessness, guilt, darkness). Few would deny its impact.
RED: Red reminds us of the blood of Jesus that washes away our sin. (Ephesians 1:7 NET In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.) Red is often used to represent blood. When He was on the cross, Jesus shed His blood to save us from our sins. Focus on the fact that His suffering was for us, in our place, so that He could take away sin and guilt that brought us such pain.
WHITE: White reminds us of purity in Christ that enables us to walk with God. (Psalms 51:7 NET Sprinkle me with water and I will be pure; wash me and I will be whiter than snow.) White is a cross-cultural metaphor for virtue or holiness, which is required for a person to see God.
Any Color Can be Used
There are many other ways to use colors to represent aspects of the gospel. In the event that your church wants to add other kinds of evangelistic booths to your gospel arsenal, such as Friendship Bracelets, Feather Hair Extensions, Sand Art, Spin Art, etc, it can be done. Take care to not overwhelm a soul with too many facts to process. Here are some ideas on attaching meaning to other colors:
BROWN: Brown reminds us that God made us from clay. We belong to Him! (Genesis 2:7 NIV the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.) If God is Creator, it is easy to accept that He has certain rights to our lives. Use brown to emphasize that God lays CLAIM to our lives.
YELLOW: Yellow reminds us of light and the Good News of God's love. Jesus is the Light! (1 John 1:5 NIV This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.) Children are often afraid of the dark, so talking about the light has an appeal.
BLUE: Blue reminds us of water. Jesus quenches our spiritual thirst with Living Water. (Revelation 22:17 NIV The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.) All have experienced thirst. Most would admit to spiritual cravings they cannot understand... that is thirsting for God. Only Jesus can quench that thirst.
GREEN: Green reminds us of trees and other growing things... and growing in Christ. (2 Peter 3:18 NIV But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.) Speak of the personal benefits of spiritual growth so that your client may want what you have.
PURPLE: Purple reminds us of royalty. Jesus is our Lord and our King. (Revelation 19:16 NIV On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.) Every little girl want to be a princes and every boy in royal service.
SILVER: Silver represents the truth. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. (Psalms 12:6 NIV And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.) The picture of silver symbolically representing truth comes from its purification process.
GOLD: Gold reminds us of Heaven, the future home of those who love God. (Revelation 21:21 NIV The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass.) When you yearn to be in the presence of God and you are confident that heaven is your home, you will be convincing when you speak of heaven.
CLEAR: This clear bead reminds me of the Holy Spirit. I can't see Him, but He helps me and gives me comfort. (John 14:16-17 NIV And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.) When making Friendship Bracelets, a clear bead may be used, and can represent the Holy Spirit.
How the Colors of Life Work
Figurative language, similes and metaphors are difficult for elementary children to understand. They can grasp concrete facts, but have difficulty processing abstract ideas. Thus, the connection between "black" and the effects of sin is an abstract association that is difficult for a child to make. When children reach middle school and older, they are better able to understand, deduce, and connect abstract ideas.
So what is the value of using colors to represent aspects of the gospel of Christ if a young child cannot make the association? Isn't this just a bit abstract? There are a couple of reasons why using the Colors of Life are useful:
The Colors of Life may not help young children with understanding, but the color red will serve as an anchor, providing a handle to help the child remember THAT (not understand why) the blood of Jesus washes away sin and makes us pure. In other words, it can serve as a handle to remember the facts of the gospel. So, for adult workers, The Colors of Life serve as a metaphor. To elementary children, The Colors of Life serve as an anchor to aid them in remembering the gospel.
Also, the Colors of Life serve as a structure to be used by the evangelist to logically share the content of the gospel with clarity and confidence. This will help YOU to remember the important points that should be said to give children the propositional truth needed to choose Christ.
The Heart of a Child
If you are talking about a structure, "Build it and they will come" only works in the movie. But if you are talking about building bridges to people and establishing relationships, then people, especially children, will respond.
Matthew 19:14 NIV Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
For years, based on anecdotal evidence, the claim has been made that nearly nine out of ten Christians accept Jesus as their Savior before the age of 18. Actual statistics show that it is not quite that stark, but the point is well taken. Pollster and statistician, George Barna, reports these percentages:
64% receive Christ by age of 18 (43% by age of 13)
13% receive Christ between the ages 18 to 21
23% receive Christ after their twenty-first birthday.
The point is, it is easier to reach a soul during their childhood than any other stage of life. And even for adults, many who receive Christ later in life are really returning to the God they knew in their childhood.
Articulating the Gospel
Do you need to memorize the scripture verses? Your confidence will be bolstered if you were to commit the Bible verses to memory. Even if you only can recite the essential concept of the verse, it will still have a positive affect. Still, it is Christians who care about chapter and verse. Those who are lost, do not, and are not impressed if you are able to quote Bible verses verbatim. If you share the gospel accurately, it will have power to save whether you have memorized Bible verses or not. If you use the Colors of Life gospel tract, you will notice that the essential Bible verses are printed on it, so all you need to do is read it as you paint the black heart, red cross and white heart.
It’s All About the Gospel
John 3:18 NIV Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
People stand condemned for their sins already. Though an unsaved person may not be able to articulate that in theological terms, he is aware that all is not right with his soul. We don't need to spend a moment trying to convince someone of this. If we do, he will likely become defensive, effectively sidetracking any attempt to share the gospel. If you want to reach a soul for Christ, proclaim the good news, not the bad news.
God's plan is to give us hope, take away our guilt and give us life. The very definition of "gospel" is Good News. Bad new won't change or save anyone. Good News is what strikes a chord in a person's heart.
